Italy to Greece

Yesterday we navigated the Straights of Messina safely and rounded the
most southern tip of Italy late yesterday afternoon. It was a stunning
sunset as we left Italy in our wake and went on a staright line for
Greece. The wind predicted from behind hasn't happened yet and we are
motoring at about 3.5 kts towards Greece. That will get us there on
Sunday afternoon. Whave already contacted the base and they are ready
for our arrival.

Last night a swallow landed on the boat,starnge that they head east so
close to Italy.Brad made a comfortable bed for the swallow from toilet
paper in a small plastic tub,but alas this morning the swallow was
dead.Today we have about six swallows circling us chirping and landing
every now and then for a rest.Hope we make it to Greece before they also
die.

Not a cloud in the sky today and the ocean is fairly flat.A gentle
easterly breeze on the bow is slowing us down just a little,but we have
enough fuel left to motor all the way,even enough to speed up a little
if we need to.Still taking it easy though,we prefer to have some diesel
in reserve.Dolphins have also been around on and off,always a most
welcome sight.We are now on the Ionian Sea,as the stretch between Italy
and greece is called.To the north of us lies the Adriatic Sea bordering
countries like Croatia and the other previous eastern block countries
like Bosnia.

Brad and Felix have started cleaning the boat on the outside,removing
small traces of rust here and there and shining the stainless
steel.Pretty chilled atmosphere on the boat,lovely weather,what more can
we hope for on the final stretch.

Our position AM 12:00 UTC 38*07'N/017*21'E.We are about 180nm from
Vounaki which is just east from Lefkas,the first big Greece island from
the west.Take care,hope you had a royal high tea on the royal wedding
and that the weekend ahead will be filled with laughter and joy.

Paul

Cefalu to Messina

We arrived at Cefalu at about 1pm, asked the locals where we could fill
up with some LPG and they informed us that town is about ten minutes
walk away. Immediatly we set of for town and soon were surrounded by
quaint little buildings lining narrow cobbled streets. Very fortunate I
asked the first person I spoke to where we could get LPG and he invited
me in. It was the local supplier of gas heaters etc, no signs etc
outside. They thought they may have a problem with filling the cylinder
as the fittings were different from theirs. We left the bottle there and
they said we must be back in half an hour or so. Went for a stroll
passing all kinds of very colourful shops looking for an atm. Found one
and nearly next door was a small Italian barber shop. On the spot I
decided to have a haircut and 10 euro later I felt like Valentino.

We returned to the gas shop and were informed that the guy has left with
the bottle to fill it up and should be back shortly. Two hours later the
shop assistant phoned the owner who was running around doing some other
errands as well. We were hoping to get back to the boat in time to get
two extra drums of diesel just in case. In the meantime we went for a
slice of pizza next door and standing under an awning to stay out of the
rain a bit which fell sporadically. Another two hours later the owner
returned to lock up shop and handed us the gas cylinder. He managed to
fill it and charged 35 euro. Most of the time I spend waiting I was
having a conversation with the owner's brother in law who was also the
shop assistant, the language barrier not to bad but still took a lot of
effort to communicate. I was invited for real Italian pizza in the
country should I return sometime in the summer.

When we got back to the boat it was already dark and the fuel dock was
closed. I looked at the weather and decided to stay for the night as the
weather in Messina will be good from us on the 28th, so no reason to
beat into the wind now and wait there. We could rather wait here and
have a nice run to Messina. We had an excellent rest after we had a warm
cup of tea and food cooked with the gas now filled. The gas meter
before we ran out of gas indicated that we still have a quarter
bottle of gas left. The next morning we waited for the fuel dock to open
and were told the guy should be in by 9 or 10. No problemo. He arrived
at 11:30 and informed me that they have no diesel. He called a taxi for
me and filled up the drums quite some distance from the port. No stress
at all as our timing should be good to arrive at Messina on the
28th, only 70 miles away.

We casted off and had a gentle breeze from behind and maintained 4 kts
motoring. Through the night the breeze picked up a bit and we were doing
even better, eventually sailing with just the genoa on a downwind run
getting 5 kts and more. The entrance to the Straights is just six miles
away and we will enter at about 7am, absolutely perfect conditions and
timing. Brings back tough memories when I tried to get through three
years ago. Three times we tried and twice we had to run back for
shelter. On the third day we went through it was at midnight and on the
way there were three maydays called on the VHF. After all this time of
beating against the wind through the Med it is a most humble and
grateful and thankful crew that will soon go through the Straights and
enjoy the beauty that is to be found here. The irony that one of the
most beautiful places can also be one of the most treacherous places is
not lost on me. Greece is now only 290 miles away and we should reach
our final destination in the next two or three days.

We sincerely thank you for your prayers, your thoughts, your mails and
sharing our experience with us. Not there yet, so please don't stop. We
promise to take even more extra care. We have come this far and know
that to slack now will not be good. The weather looks good for our last
few days and it is amusing how a long stretch of tough sailing can be
sorted out by a small stretch of plain sailing. Guess one wouldn't
appreciate the smooth if it wasn't for the rough.

Wishing you a splendid day.

Paul

Stop go stop go

We arrived at Capo St. Vito in Sicily on Saturday night at about 9
pm, made a good night entry and found a nice jetty we could tie on
to. What a relieve to just stand on dry land again. It was too late for
any shops and we had to leave the shopping for the next day. Just before
we turned south to head for the marina a mile away we had to drop the
mainsail and we had difficulty getting the sail down. Pulled a line over
the first car and pulling on both sides of the mast the sail came
down, bit for bit as we moved our line to the next car. A car is the the
fitting that slots into a track that runs up the mast and keeps the sail
against the mast. When we got all the sail down we noticed that the top
car was damaged, one of the sides holding on the tract was broken. Not a
trainsmash as we could replace the top one with the car with the bottom
car as we don't use the full mainsail. It turned out to be a bit more
difficult than anticipated but after an hour or two we had it sorted.

I went for a stroll through town on Sunday morning, lots of restaurants
open, found a fruit and veggie shop open by the supermarket was
closed. Stocked up on fruit, big time. Oranges, apples, pears and
bananas. As much as I could carry in my backpack. Spend the rest of the
day sorting out the sail, filling the water tanks, doing washing
etc. Looking at the weather it looked like we could expect a lull later
that evening. Just having fruit and veggies aboard was not ideal but we
could stop in Messina if we really wanted to.Everything was ready to go
and Sunday night at 10pm the wind lulled and we casted off. As we casted
off a gale warning came through on the VHF. We knew thare was a huge
system passing below Sicily and a bit further up north as well. We have
been hearing these gale warnings for a day or two coming into Sicily.
Five minutes later the port engine alarm went off, we are
overheating. Turned it off and turned back with one motor. Just as well
as ten minutes later a storm exploded on us, the lull was the quiet
before the storm. Wouldn't have made much progress. Bringing the
catamaran into the marina under one motor only is tricky to say the
least but fortunately we had enough room to manouvre.

Monday morning we started lookin at our engine problem. Felix
volunteered the night before that he would dive under the boat and see
if there is any obstruction at the water inlet that feeds the water to
the engine. Got a mask and snorkel and he went into the very cold water
and found nothing wrong. Systematically I went from the water filter to
the waterpump that works with an impeller and found the problem.
Impeller blades all off. The blades is what creates suction and draws
the water from the sea through the filter into the engine to keep it
cool. We always carry a spare one and after some fancy body contortions
to fit into the engine room and reach all the places I needed to reach
the impeller was replaced. Started the motor, no water coming out yet
and switched it off. Filled up the water pies from the hosepipe and
tried again. This time we had success.

We also found the supermarket open and Brad and Felix came back with
some meat, rice, chips, chocolates, cookies etc. The storm from the
night before had covered our boat in fine red dust and we washed the
boat down form top to bottom, nice to have fresh water on tap. Did a
thorough job, watering, brushing, sponging, we got it all off and all
sparkling clean. At about 5 yesterday afternoon the wind had died down
for quite some time already and it was good for us to go. Had a fair run
through the night, the wind sometimes from behind, sometimes from the
side and at other times from ahead.

At about 9 this morning I got up and switched on the gas to make
tea...gas finished! We looked at our ETA for Messina and at that time we
were doing about 3kts, no problemo, we will get gas there in the next 24
hrs or so. At 11am the wind picked up from the east and we are motoring
making 1kt and three days to get to Messina at this rate. Just then
Nicky phoned from the office to find out how we are. She informed us
that all the guys on the Med and coming into the Med has some adverse
weather and no need for us to rush, although she knows that we also want
to get this trip behind us. Looked at my electronic charts and saw a
small marina 14 miles on our starboard. Woke Felix up to help me raise
the mainsail and we are now heading for Cefalu and should be there in
the next three to four hours.Not what we wanted, not what we planned,
but fortunate to be close enough to be able to do it. Will get gas there
and see what the weather is doing before heading out again. Just got a
call from Pieter saying he is missing us, wish on the one side he was
here and on the other that he is glad he is not with the adverse weather
we are facing.

Our position at AM 11:30 UTC is 38*03'N/14*03'E.

Hope you had a wonderful time over the easter weekend.

Paul

Good Friday Bad Friday

Yesterday we were running the gauntlet between Africa and Sicily, 140nm
of which have 50nm left. Wind predicted was 25 red and we had 30kts plus
coming across the bow. Windvane set at 55S we had main sail on second
reef and about one third of genoa, taking it slow and sideways over the
oncoming waves. Taking the waves on sideways is a no-no.We were going
between four and five kts, and also had a make-shift drogue out at the
back, two mooring lines tied in a loop. This prevented us from flying
over one wave and crashing into the next.

The waves on the Med are very close together, unlike in the open ocean
where they have time to spread out a bit. During this somewhat rough
conditions our second reef line snapped pushing the bit of sail we had
out against the shrouds. In a flash we turned on the motors , turned
into the wind while furling in the genoa and moved the boom back to the
center. Tightened he topping lift, dropped the sail and fortunately the
reefing line did not pull through the boom. Turned our stern towards the
wind and running down the swell with both motors running at 2000rpm,
doing about 8kts. Tied the reefing line back on, tied a sacrificial
reefing line and back on track again.

This little turn of events had our adrenalin going and we were high
fiving each other for pulling off a fairly dangerous operation. Not fun
standing on top of the bimini top while surfing down the huge swell. A
bit tensed up but ok. Had a rough night as well, a lot of rain and we
called All Ships procedure on the VHF every 30 mintues as visibilty was
not good. Even during the day we would see a ship on the horizon coming
right at us, call All Ships, reading our exact position, our course over
ground, our speed over ground and watch the ship alter course motoring
by a mile from us, passing port to port as the rules of the road
recommends.

We hope to get to Sicily within the next ten hours or so and will stop
for the night to get some provisions. The crew requested fresh fruit and
veggies only for the next day or three to Greece. Perhaps they want to
go on some type of vegan diet. For me I will then have to get some
salami, pizza, chocolate and things like that. Felix just spotted land
so things are looking up for us. Hope the shops will be opoen in the
morning as it is Easter weekend.

Our position currently at AM 10:00 UTC is 38*12'N/11*43'E. The sun is
shyly making an appearance, spots of blue appearing here and
there. Wishing you a most blessed Easter weekend.

Paul

Algiers/Tunisia

We have now passed the border between Algeria and Tunisia. Algeria has
been a long and tedious trip, tacking up and down, making way slowly
against the beasterly easterly. The wind is now taking a more south
easterly shade, coming through strong now and then. We are struggling a
bit to stick to the coast of Tunisia and make decent speed. Less than 30
miles north of us the wind is howling at 30 kts red,gusting up to 45
with a change of even reaching the 50's. There is a small island called
La Galite, about 20 miles from the coast of Tunisia. It is one of only
two islands off the African north coast, the other one being Isle de
Alboran on the border of Morocco and Algeria. As I am writing the small
island of La Galite is 5 miles to our port and the coast of Tunisia 15
miles to our starboard. This morning at sunrise the sky was deep red,
nearly angry, and the isobars on our weather charts are close together,
so time to take extra care. Last night I had to tack and had a negative
VMG to get close to land again and stay out of harms way. Demoralizing
....no. Reality, yes.

We are still hoping for a good turn of weather and run straight to
Greece, but it is more lookinb like me have to stop for an hour or two
in Sicily for some final provisions. Time only will tell. Greece is just
over 600 miles away, and when I say I miles I refer to nautical
miles. Lots of ships all the time, had to change course twice in the
early hours of the morning not to compromise our safety. The sooner you
change course, the less time there is for a collision.Our position at PM
01:00 UTC was 37*21'N/08*49'E. The sea is moderate, not to rough and not
to smooth. Our morale on the boat stays high, although it takes some
effort to stay positive all the time. But it is a great test of our
endurance, both physically and mentally. And all in all we are doing
just fine, what else can we do but to hang in till the end, which will
so much sweeter for the hardships we endured. Far from over though,
could be finished in five days or perhaps seven, or even nine, so we
take it as it comes.

Thanks for being with us in spirit and heart at times, we appreciate
your interest and support more than these little things called words can
ever hope to express. Take good care.

Paul

The ocean of life

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Rocket science

When you have faults, do not have fear to abandom them. A saying from
another ancient Chinese mystic, Confucius. But we hold onto them, for
dear life, justify them, any which way we can. Excuses not to
act. Procrastination is probably one of the faults I battle with at
times. With sailing I don't procrastinate though, I act as soon as I
feel there is a need. I won't just sit and see what happens. Another
saying,not so old I think, but a funny one nevertheless, is that you get
people who make it happen, people who let it happen and people who
wonder waht happened.

So often we are faced with a daunting task, so daunting that we don't
want to take the first step, forever getting ready to set sail. A
journey of a thousand miles starts with one single step. And funny how
once you have taken the first step, the next step just follows. It is
thus the first step that needs to be taken. I am speaking mostly to
myself here, and looking at all the different facets of my life. Perhaps
you will be able to relate somewhat. It does take monumental courage to
face some problems, much easier to just let it be, instead of dealing
with it, just switch on the TV. The greatest procrastinating tool ever
invented in my humble opinion.

Have you ever had friends or family over and don't switch the TV on.The
uncomfortable silence that hangs in the air, everyone staring at the
blank TV screen. If I were to visit you and the TV is on, I will excuse
myself in no time at all. You will probably not even realize I have
gone. TV only came into SA in '76 and it's effect on family and other
matters have been all consuming, taking no prisoners in it's wake. We
have one of the highest divorce and suicide rates in the world. Compare
the figures before and after '76, it as clear as daylight. The young
people I deal with all the time don't read books anymore, movies are so
much less taxing. And the ability to express themselves properly are
very limited, F and J words mostly to express their frustration at not
being able to find the right word. And words in themselves are already
so limiting to express what we really want to. And that is where art comes
in, speaking to a part of us that we don't always get at first sight, but
with time in becomes part of you. Expressing the inexpressible.

Sailing is both a science and an art. The science of creating forward
motion from the angle of your sails and the angle of the wind getting
squeezed between the sails. There are so many factors you have to take
into consideration. Wind speed and direction, currents, proximity to land
at times, effects created by land masses and continental shelves, tides
and then the vessel you are on. Trying to work out an estimated time of
arrival and provisioning accordingly. Then there are less tangible factors
like morale on the boat, living and staying healthy, using water sparingly
on longer journeys. Living with others in very close quarters, sharing and
caring.There are many other factors at play to create a happy boat.

Then the art of sailing. Easy to keep a happy boat when things are on
song, but when things get tough, rough or slow, it is not that easy. But
it only takes a little favorable conditions to get the hopes up again. The
art is when it all comes together, no matter the circumstances. When you
are on watch and witness the most glorious scenes. When you become one
with all around and inside of you. When the incredible lightness of being
dawns on you. When you now and then catch a glimpse of eternity. Perhaps
this is why we sail, why we are called to the deep blue. When the salt in
our veins and arteries and our tears match those of the medium that we are
on, the ocean wide. At the end of the journey you look back and are
humbled by what you have witnessed, experienced, learned. And somehow we
remember the best, and the tough times seem to take on an isignificence,
although without it the end wouldn't be half as sweet. Much more I can say
about all of this, but perhaps you are stifling a yawn.

Our position @ PM 01:00 UTC was 37*09'N/06*14'E. We are 740 nm from
Greece, 314 nm from Sicily. Slight headwinds, motoring with main up and
centered, genoa also furled in a bit and centred in front of the boom. Not
doing good, not doing bad, just doing, just keeping at it.Wind predicted
to turn south east and even south for a while,which will suit as down to a
t.

Greetings from the north of Africa, Algiers, still but not long, and we
will be above Tunisia.

Paul

Howling at the full moon....again

Just after midnight we did the customary thing at full moon. The last
few days have been testing to say the least, tacking up and down, making
70nm, then 60, then 50, 40 down to just over 30 miles a day towards
Greece. A little frustrating with medium to strong winds blowing
straight from where we want to go. The sea fairly big just adding to our
disposition. I asked the guys, tongue in cheek, if they have any
frustrations for whatever reason, now is the time to let it all out and
howl at the moon. Felix recorded it for prosperity and what a pack of
wolfs we turned out to be, howling our lungs out.

At last the wind has died down to insignificence, the water is flat and
we are motoring making 3 kts. We are expecting a little build up from
the south that will expediate matters for us. A feeling of calmness has
desecnded upon us and we should be in Sicily in the next few days.Have
to stop for uno momento there to get some provisions as our journey has
been taking considerably longer than anticipated. From there through the
Messina Straights Greece is just across the Ionian Sea, a short hop
away.

Our position @ AM 12:30 UTC 36*59'N/95*29'E. A coastal patrol vessel
just radiod us checking up on all our credentials, all clear.

Wishing you a better day than yesterday.

Paul

I see

Often one has little control over things. The actions of other people,
natural events or acts of God. As if God's actions are only bad, but so
the insurance companies word their contracts. The one thing you do have
control over, to an extend, is your reaction to any outside actions. If
your spouse passes away, not much you can do about how you the deep
bereavement you will experience. It is human. It is also an extreme
example. Yet, some wise man said that one said be joyful when somebody
passes away, and lament the birth of another one born into this world of
suffering, as the buddhist looks at it. And how to escape this
unescapable sorrow I am still learning.

When my late wife passed away, naturally I was inconsolable. I blamed
God, I didn't feel like living anymore, it was the end of my world. And
there perhaps the key lies, the end of my world, sorry for the loss I
suffered. Now, about twelve years later, I have a most loving and
precious wife and daughter, and I am happier than I have ever been
before. If I could look down the corridors of time and see myself twelve
years down the line, I could have been rejoicing as the wise man
suggested at the end of someones life. No more suffering, no more
struggling, no more pain. And my late wife would have been rejoicing
too,as she is now where she is now. And death has now taken on a
different meaning for me, yet, if someone has lost a loved one today, I
would not tell them not to be sad, not to be shaken to the core. We all
walk our own paths.

On a more mundane level, things are really much easier. If you want to
be happy you will find a reason, and if you don't want to be happy, you
will also find a reason, within the same happening. Bad news happens all
the time, so not to difficult to cultivate a negative look on life. One
can also stare blindly into the positive side and have a negative effect
on you. Or one can try to see the whole picture.Reminds me of a Chinese
story,in fact two Chinese stories I've read some time ago.Perhaps the
same old wise man in two different settings.

They go more or less as follows. The people praised the man for bringing
forth such an exemplary son. Ah saw is all he said. They then later told
him how well skilled the young man has become and once again his
reaction was the same. Not moved by good or bad. Then came the bad news,
the young man has fallen of a horse and broke his arm and once again the
old man just shrugged his shoulders and said ah saw. The people started
blaming him for not acting worried about this event. A week later war
broke out and his son was the only one that could not be send of to war
because of his broken arm. You see.Ha ha ha.

A young prince arrived and fell in love with one of the daughters in the
village and it was a secret love. He had to leave shortly afterwards and
soon it became apparent that she is pregnant. Fearing for her life she
accused the old man of doing this to her.His reply....ah saw. The
village peopled pushed him to one side and denounced him completely.
Still he wouldn't defend himself. When the child was born it was left up
to him to raise the young lad and once again his reaction was the
same.He brought up the child as if it was his own. A year later the
prince returned and the girl told him about what has happened. They
called the family and the village together and told them about this turn
of events. They then fetched the child and the old man and informed him
of what he knew already. As he handed the child back to the mother he
just nodded his head and said........you guessed it....ah saw.

Perhaps he was one of the three wise men from the east who followed a
star and brought gifts to celebrate the birth of another wise man.I
don't know, but what I do know is that beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, and that there is far more than meets the eye. Who is that
person in the mirror and what does that person see. It is your choice.

We are about 450nm from the border of Libya, and no, we won't be sailing
in that direction. We will be heading up to the north of Sicily and take
a short hop to Greece from there. I am thinking of taping all our flares
around our broom stick and tying all the detonating lines together. And
if a war plane dares to come to close, I might just.....It is nearly
full moon, and perhaps you would advise me to rather jump on the
broomstick and fly me to the moon.

Our position at high noon is 37*18'N/04*06'E.Wind for the next few days
predicted still from the east and we are making our way zig zagging
along the north coast of Africa.

Wish you a momentous day

Paul

I see

Often one has little control over things. The actions of other people,
natural events or acts of God. As if God's actions are only bad, but so
the insurance companies word their contracts. The one thing you do have
control over, to an extend, is your reaction to any outside actions. If
your spouse passes away, not much you can do about how you the deep
bereavement you will experience. It is human. It is also an extreme
example. Yet, some wise man said that one said be joyful when somebody
passes away, and lament the birth of another one born into this world of
suffering, as the buddhist looks at it. And how to escape this
unescapable sorrow I am still learning.

When my late wife passed away, naturally I was inconsolable. I blamed
God, I didn't feel like living anymore, it was the end of my world. And
there perhaps the key lies, the end of my world, sorry for the loss I
suffered. Now, about twelve years later, I have a most loving and
precious wife and daughter, and I am happier than I have ever been
before. If I could look down the corridors of time and see myself twelve
years down the line, I could have been rejoicing as the wise man
suggested at the end of someones life. No more suffering, no more
struggling, no more pain. And my late wife would have been rejoicing
too,as she is now where she is now. And death has now taken on a
different meaning for me, yet, if someone has lost a loved one today, I
would not tell them not to be sad, not to be shaken to the core. We all
walk our own paths.

On a more mundane level, things are really much easier. If you want to
be happy you will find a reason, and if you don't want to be happy, you
will also find a reason, within the same happening. Bad news happens all
the time, so not to difficult to cultivate a negative look on life. One
can also stare blindly into the positive side and have a negative effect
on you. Or one can try to see the whole picture.Reminds me of a Chinese
story,in fact two Chinese stories I've read some time ago.Perhaps the
same old wise man in two different settings.

They go more or less as follows. The people praised the man for bringing
forth such an exemplary son. Ah saw is all he said. They then later told
him how well skilled the young man has become and once again his
reaction was the same. Not moved by good or bad. Then came the bad news,
the young man has fallen of a horse and broke his arm and once again the
old man just shrugged his shoulders and said ah saw. The people started
blaming him for not acting worried about this event. A week later war
broke out and his son was the only one that could not be send of to war
because of his broken arm. You see.Ha ha ha.

A young prince arrived and fell in love with one of the daughters in the
village and it was a secret love. He had to leave shortly afterwards and
soon it became apparent that she is pregnant. Fearing for her life she
accused the old man of doing this to her.His reply....ah saw. The
village peopled pushed him to one side and denounced him completely.
Still he wouldn't defend himself. When the child was born it was left up
to him to raise the young lad and once again his reaction was the
same.He brought up the child as if it was his own. A year later the
prince returned and the girl told him about what has happened. They
called the family and the village together and told them about this turn
of events. They then fetched the child and the old man and informed him
of what he knew already. As he handed the child back to the mother he
just nodded his head and said........you guessed it....ah saw.

Perhaps he was one of the three wise men from the east who followed a
star and brought gifts to celebrate the birth of another wise man.I
don't know, but what I do know is that beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, and that there is far more than meets the eye. Who is that
person in the mirror and what does that person see. It is your choice.

We are about 450nm from the border of Libya, and no, we won't be sailing
in that direction. We will be heading up to the north of Sicily and take
a short hop to Greece from there. I am thinking of taping all our flares
around our broom stick and tying all the detonating lines together. And
if a war plane dares to come to close, I might just.....It is nearly
full moon, and perhaps you would advise me to rather jump on the
broomstick and fly me to the moon.

Our position at high noon is 37*18'N/04*06'E.Wind for the next few days
predicted still from the east and we are making our way zig zagging
along the north coast of Africa.

Wish you a momentous day

Paul

The ocean of life

And so it goes, tack one way for a few hours, tack the other way for a
few hours, for the next few days. And what can one do bot to keep at it.
The test now becomes a mental one, the toughest test of them all. Some
live in the past, some live in the future, most live in a combination of
the two. Only few have the capacity to live in the moment. And yet, that
is all we have, moment for moment. Yes, I miss my family dearly and
can't wait to get home. A wife missing her husband, a daughter missing
her daddy, and a daddy missing both of them. But when we are re-united,
the joy we experience is boundless, nothing is taken for granted, every
moment is precious.

Both Felix and Brad have got plans of their own. All good things comes
to them that wait. They may not know it, but this time on the ocean is
moulding them for greater things. It will give them something that they
will carry with them into the future. The greatest knowledge is
knowledge of self. Know your strenghts, know your weaknesses,
intimately. Learn to respect yourself, to love and appreciate yourself,
learn about the sacredness of you.Only to the extend that you can do
this can you apply it to the world around you. You cannot give what you
don't have.Learn to laugh at yourself, probably the most healthy thing
you van do. Learn to appreciate yourself, and you will learn to
appreciate the road you are on. It is a sacred quest.

On the other side of the coin you loath yourself, you have very little
real self respect,you confuse loving yourself with selfishness, you get
frustrated and loose sight of the magic of the moment that you are in.
It is a choice. St.Augustine prayed for courage to accept the things he
can't change, and for strength the change the things he can. This is the
hero's journey, portrayed in all cultures. Most fall by the wayside,
tripped or trapped by the obstacles on the way. How many times you
stumble and fall is not as important as how many times you stand up and
carry on again. Stronger and wiser.

Only when you realize that the destination is not where it is at, but
what you learn on the way there, that you will reach your true destiny.
And if you collect and bag a few treasures on your way, then blessed are
you. Humbleness is not a sign of weakness. Meekness is not a sign of
subservience. On the contrary. To be meek is to be quiet and hear and
obey your inner calling. To be humble is to be strong enough to stay
focused on your path and not be sidetracked by vanity and glory.

It takes enourmous courage to stand alone, yet we are born alone and we
die alone. To seek safety in numbers is fine, you will find it. But just
as a boat is not built to sit in a harbour, so you also were not made to
hide from life. Sadly, most boats you will find most of the time in a
harbour.It remains your choice. It is essential to touch base now and
then, but I am yet to see a happy boat tied down to a pier. And when a
big storm hits the harbour and the mooring lines break loose,the boats
smash into each other and sink. On the open ocean boats are built to
weather storms, and they are safer out there than anywhere else.

As I have been reminded recently,one is somewhat conditioned to see what
one sees.But the ultimate goal is not to see,but be aware and therefore
see everything.It is amazing if one walks somewhere where there are a lot
of people and you just observe people,without any though of what they are
doing or saying.Just switch your glance every moment to the next person in
your vision,and carry on in this mode.You will see a lot more and be far
more aware,without being intrusive.

We find ourselves 10nm just off the coast of Algiers, Northern Africa. Our
position @ UTC 01:00 PM 37*00'N/03*07'E and we are about 880nm from
Greece.

Have a solid weekend

Paul

Maktub-It is written

Another day on the big blue, and like every day before, different from
every day before. We are stitching our way in the direction of Greece.
Easterly winds, sometimes a bit north easterly, have us tacking up and
down along the coast of Africa. At first we were going to sail more
north, but strong winds are predicted up there and we therefore rather
stay south. Sometimes sailing, sometimes motorsailing. Nice sunny
weather for the last few days. At night is a bit chillies and ships from
every direction keep us honest and true.

Felix has just attempted his first try at baking bread. As I am writing
the smell from the oven is starting to fill the air, soon we will be
enjoying it, fresh from the oven. My turn to cook tonight, spaghetti and
bolognaise, always a winner. Last night Brad made us a curry stew and
the washing up was easy as there wasn't a crumb left.

With Felix on board we are far more rested now, and our watch shifts are
changing every day. Last night I had the privilege of watching the sun
set, and this morning watching the sun rise. The same sun that has risen
and set over these waters for who really knows how long. And so close to
North Africa, there is a quiet, ancient feel about area we are in. And
the ancient mariners that traversed these waters in their ancient
craft, I feel part of the morphic energy left behind by them as well.

And the sad energies as well, of people at war, as they have been for so
many years. Greed and the conception that survival is a battle and we
have to compete in order to survive. But hopefully soon the sun will
shine down on a planet that is at war no more. Where people will be free
from sub-ordination, from indoctrination, free to be all we are meant to
be. And so it will be, as it is written.Maktub, an Arabian expression
,very apt for the times and the place we are sailing and living in.

The bread just came out, I had my first slice, Felix is a natural, I am
out of here.

Blessings to you

Paul

Maktub-It is written

Another day on the big blue, and like every day before, different from
every day before. We are stitching our way in the direction of Greece.
Easterly winds, sometimes a bit north easterly, have us tacking up and
down along the coast of Africa. At first we were going to sail more
north, but strong winds are predicted up there and we therefore rather
stay south. Sometimes sailing, sometimes motorsailing. Nice sunny
weather for the last few days. At night is a bit chillies and ships from
every direction keep us honest and true.

Felix has just attempted his first try at baking bread. As I am writing
the smell from the oven is starting to fill the air, soon we will be
enjoying it, fresh from the oven. My turn to cook tonight, spaghetti and
bolognaise, always a winner. Last night Brad made us a curry stew and
the washing up was easy as there wasn't a crumb left.

With Felix on board we are far more rested now, and our watch shifts are
changing every day. Last night I had the privilege of watching the sun
set, and this morning watching the sun rise. The same sun that has risen
and set over these waters for who really knows how long. And so close to
North Africa, there is a quiet, ancient feel about area we are in. And
the ancient mariners that traversed these waters in their ancient
craft, I feel part of the morphic energy left behind by them as well.

And the sad energies as well, of people at war, as they have been for so
many years. Greed and the conception that survival is a battle and we
have to compete in order to survive. But hopefully soon the sun will
shine down on a planet that is at war no more. Where people will be free
from sub-ordination, from indoctrination, free to be all we are meant to
be. And so it will be, as it is written.Maktub, an Arabian expression
,very apt for the times and the place we are sailing and living in.

The bread just came out, I had my first slice, Felix is a natural, I am
out of here.

Blessings to you

Paul

West to East

Yes, today we will be crossing the meridian again, this time from west
to east. In the next hour or so to be exact. Only about 1000nm from
Greece but we have to tack up and down to make progress, sometimes
that's the name of the game. Felix did an excellent job of preparing
supper last night. The chicken he served was numero uno. It was his
first meal to prepare and his little initiation depended on how well he
does. He passed with flying colours, so no, we won't drag him behind the
boat on a rope through the icy cold water. A lot of blue bottles as
well, so it would have been quite an initiation.

I am on the 6 to 10 watch this morning and was greeted by clear skies
and the sun rising at about 6:30. Wind blowing at 15 kts from the north
east bring a slight element of chill, and we are sailing in a south
easterly direction. Our weather report predicts that the wind will die
down a bit later and come in from the east. Then we will head back up
north again as some heavy winds are predicted for the 18th, and the
higher north we go the less the wind will be. Down at Africa winds of up
to 45 kts can be expected.

Our ETA for Greece at our present speed is 28/04,a worst case
scenario. We trust that favourable winds will meet us along the way and
cut some time for us. Only time will tell when and where. It is
difficult at night with the waxing moon to see ships, and difficult for
them to see us. Last night our stern nav light wouldn't work, making it
even more difficult for ships to see us from behind. Time to extra
vigilant on our watches. Will check the nav light later today and make
sure it works tonight.During the night we had our port and starboard nav
lights on, our steaming light and our anchor light which has a 360*
visibility.Not much else we can do but a keep a sharp eye on things.

There are dolphins playing around the boat at the moment. I just saw one
leaping completely out of the water.There seem to be a lot of dolphins
as we see them everyday and sometimes at night as well. Always a most
welcome sight, these agile creatures carving curves through the
water.Also spotted a turtle yesterday, to be expected with all the blue
bottles around as the turtles feed on them. Definitaly Short Beaked
Common Dolphins, Delphinus Delphis being the scientific name of the
particular species.

Haven't got much else to say today, all is calm out here. Our position
at AM 05:30 UTC was 37*09'N/00*12'W.More or less staright line distance
to Greece 1040nm. Temperature around 18*C. Skies filled with jet streams
from...you guessed it, jets leaving long white stripes in their wake.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

West to East

Yes, today we will be crossing the meridian again, this time from west
to east. In the next hour or so to be exact. Only about 1000nm from
Greece but we have to tack up and down to make progress, sometimes
that's the name of the game. Felix did an excellent job of preparing
supper last night. The chicken he served was numero uno. It was his
first meal to prepare and his little initiation depended on how well he
does. He passed with flying colours, so no, we won't drag him behind the
boat on a rope through the icy cold water. A lot of blue bottles as
well, so it would have been quite an initiation.

I am on the 6 to 10 watch this morning and was greeted by clear skies
and the sun rising at about 6:30. Wind blowing at 15 kts from the north
east bring a slight element of chill, and we are sailing in a south
easterly direction. Our weather report predicts that the wind will die
down a bit later and come in from the east. Then we will head back up
north again as some heavy winds are predicted for the 18th, and the
higher north we go the less the wind will be. Down at Africa winds of up
to 45 kts can be expected.

Our ETA for Greece at our present speed is 28/04,a worst case
scenario. We trust that favourable winds will meet us along the way and
cut some time for us. Only time will tell when and where. It is
difficult at night with the waxing moon to see ships, and difficult for
them to see us. Last night our stern nav light wouldn't work, making it
even more difficult for ships to see us from behind. Time to extra
vigilant on our watches. Will check the nav light later today and make
sure it works tonight.During the night we had our port and starboard nav
lights on, our steaming light and our anchor light which has a 360*
visibility.Not much else we can do but a keep a sharp eye on things.

There are dolphins playing around the boat at the moment. I just saw one
leaping completely out of the water.There seem to be a lot of dolphins
as we see them everyday and sometimes at night as well. Always a most
welcome sight, these agile creatures carving curves through the
water.Also spotted a turtle yesterday, to be expected with all the blue
bottles around as the turtles feed on them. Definitaly Short Beaked
Common Dolphins, Delphinus Delphis being the scientific name of the
particular species.

Haven't got much else to say today, all is calm out here. Our position
at AM 05:30 UTC was 37*09'N/00*12'W.More or less staright line distance
to Greece 1040nm. Temperature around 18*C. Skies filled with jet streams
from...you guessed it, jets leaving long white stripes in their wake.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

Sirens and things

The last time I sailed the Med was on a delivery from Cape Town to
Croatia. Flew through Gibraltar and four days later reached Sicily. Got
delayed there for three days due to 50 kts of wind through the Straights
of Messina. It is the little gap between Italy and Sicily and rich in
Greek mythology. The Straights were inhabited by sirens, some say
two, some say four. The sirens were creatures with bird-like bodies,
girl's faces, and exquisite singing voices, so exquisite that almost
every mariner who passed the island fell completely under the spell of
their seductive voices and stayed there listening to them forever
more, or else smashed their ships to smithereens on the rocky coast of
the island. It was littered with the shipwrecks bleached bones and of
their countless victims.

Although almost all the ships which passed the islands of the sirens
went down, mythology reports two successful attempts to pass the sirens
unscathed. On his lengthy return journey from Troy to Ithaca, the hero
Odysseus heeded the advice of the enchantress Circe and stopped the ears
of his men with wax to prevent them from hearing the enticing singing.
Since he was keen to hear the sirens himself, he left his own ears
unprotected. He took the precaution, however, of having himself strapped
to the mast of his ship and ordered his men to bind him even tighter if
he appeared to be too carried away by the singing.

The Argonauts, the heroes who had set sail on the ship, the Argo, led by
Jason, chose a simpler but no less effective solution.One of those on
board the Argo was the great singer Orpheus. With his own lovely voice,
he effortlessly drowned out the voices of the sirens.

So one has to deal with this on top of strong currents, strong winds and
lots of traffic. But if you time it right it is also one of the most
beautiful, awe inspiring places you will see. With Mount Edna on Sicily
to our right and the cliff-carved temples on our left, I will ask the
guys to plug their ears with Prestik, tie me to the mast, and hopefully
we will have a safe passage through.

In the meantime we are zig zagging our way towards Greece, slight
headwinds predicted for the next few days. Our position at AM 11:30 UTC
is 36*29'N/00*56'W,google earth it if you like. Felix has plans of
serving chicken for supper. First lightly cooked and then baked in the
oven. I just finished baking a bread and Felix and myself have already
had half of it with some soup. When Brad wakes up he will no doubt also
have his fair share of bread and it will see us through till suppertime.

Take care

Paul

Salsa

Our unexpected little visit to Almeria in Spain was throroughly
enjoyed. We saw some salsa dancing and wow, what a way to express
yourself.My wife is a very good dancer,some people just have a natural
rhythm,and I am sure she would have enjoyed it very much,maybe next time
love.I don't know the meaning of the word salsa,but I would give it the
dance of life.

The wind has died down substantially from yesterday and we are making
our way up east coast of Spain.Our weather predictions shows very strong
winds down south at the coast of Africa,so we are planning to stick to
middle grounds.We will soon tack again and keep on zig zagging towards
Greece.Slight headwinds predicted for the next few days where we are,but
then it should start curving in from the north backing to west.This will
give us an excellent run towards our destination.And so it goes with
sailing,and more so with deliveries.When things are good,they change,and
when things are bad,they change.Just keeping at it,pacing yourself and
not getting frustrated when your expected time of arrival is delayed.

Just looked through the binoculars at a small "village" against the
steep mountainsides with limestone formations running into the
sea.Beautiful Spanish villas,most painted white,a small marina and a few
condomeniums.I also feel a sense of what it is like to stay in such a
place,so secluded from the city buzz.I guess with tv etc no matter where
you stay,if you don't make the most of staying in a place like this,you
,ay then just as well stay in a room anywhere in the world if you spend
most of your time glued to the tellie.

We all had a good rest last night,and it was my turn to cook supper
today,country vegetable stew withfresh carrots,potatoes,marrows,cabbage,
onion,garlic,tomato and a few herbs and spices served on a bed of
rice.We all ate to our hearts content,I'm finished with the dishes and
tomorrow it will be Felix's turn to cook his first meal on the
boat.Pieter had a real knack for making delicious food,and I have got an
idea that we will enjoy Felix's cooking also very much.

Our position currently is 36*43'N/02*06'W.Soon we will be in the
crossing back into the eastern hemisphere and perhaps we can have a
little initiation for Felix.He didn't cross the equator with us,but
surely this is also some milestone.Mmmmmmmmmmmm,we will see what we get
for supper tomorrow night and then see how and if he will be initiated.

Take care

Paul

Sierra De Almeria,Spain

After a great run through the Straights the wind has, as expected, at
last turned on us. 20 kts constant gusting at 30 and peaking at
35, straight out of the east. On a starboard tack we are pushing north
and on a port tack we going south, making very little progress against
the strong winds and big seas. Nice thing about the Med is that there
are many places you can run for shelter, and so it happens that we find
ourselves at Club de Mar, Almeria. 25 euros for the day and we will be
leaving at first light when the weather has died down a bit. We arrived
here at about 2pm and should be out of here at about 8am. We will be
hoping to sail around the tip of Almeria and head in a north easterly
direction as the wind will be more favourable for us. In a day or three
we should encounter the northerlies which we can then use to run east.

Brad and Felix went for a long walk through the city to go and look at a
bullfighting ring, a castle, a cathedral and some other interesting
sites. I went up the main street for about an hour. Strange how quiet a
city can be, besides the noise of traffic. Not much hooting or sirens
around here, just the continious hum of vehicles going past.

We had a constant charade of ships last night and had to alter our
course a few times. Some of the ships changed there course slightly for
us, especially the ones coming up from behind. Felix has settled in
exceptionally well and is already a valuable crewmember in many
regards. He did a two month sailing course at Atlantic Yachting in
Langebaan and it has served him well. I know Adrian and Healy who owns
Atlantic Yachting and they train there students well. I've had a few of
there crewmembers before and have never been disappointed. Pieter, our
previous crewmember, has had a succesful operation and is on light duty
for the next six weeks. We miss his banter very much, but Felix in his
own way is finding a place into our hearts. It takes a lot of load from
our shoulders to have him aboard with us. We now have the luxury of
reading, writing, chatting and more than enough sleep. One really
appreciates these things when you have been without it for a while. In a
way, today is also a little bit of rest for Brad and me who has been two
handing it from Madeira, popped in and out of Cadiz to get a good
weather window through Gibraltar and in the morning we will all be as
good as new.

Only about 1100 nm to go and this will be our last stop before Greece,
except if something drastic happens on the way.The stop today was
totally unplanned, and the nice thing about having electronic charts of
the whole world is that you can confidently go in anywhere. The nicest
thing for me when we get to land is to phone my lovely wife and daughter
from a call box. The sat phone is ok, but the delay and sometimes bad
signal can be frustrating at times, never knowing when you will just be
cut off. Today was no exception and always great to suprise them from
some unexpected place.Of course we also do our position report on
Mondays and Thursdays to Nicky in Cape Town.Her reply on my mail to
inform her of our quick stop, tongue in cheek was Hmmmmmmmm, Storm off
the coast of Spain. That's your story and you're sticking to it.
Eish,some boys !

And you ? How have you been keeping ? I promise to throw some random
thoughts at you again soon. Ha ha ha.

Paul

Flying through the Straights of Gibraltar

We have been so fortunate to reach Cadiz early yesterday morning,do all
we needed to do and leave a few hours later.The weather has been coming
through strong from the west,and as predicted,20 kts running up to 30
and sometimes gusting at 35.We have the wind right from behind,and our
main sail in 2nd reef is giving us excellent performance.Surfing down a
swell on my 6-10am watch we got up to 13.4kts.Our aim is to run as deep
into the Med as we can,Our original plan was to hug the coast of Africa
but our latest weather files suggested we should rather stick closer to
the northern side.Sailing from Cadiz,I also had our waypoints crossing
the TSS diagonally so we get get to the coast of Africa.Instead I
changed our waypoints and stuck to the southern coast of Spain as we
approached the Straits.

TSS stands for Traffic Seperation Scheme.Ships coming in and out have
to stay within the allotted lanes.Very much like driving on a two way
road.The northern lane in Gibraltar is for ships going out and the
southern for ships coming in.We thus had to stay between the coast and
the ships going out as we were going in.Fortunately the night skies were
clear and we could see the ships navigation lights fairly clearly.We had
a fishing vessel with a flashing red light that came straight us and we
had to alter our course to avoid a collission.Other than that we could
negotiate and navigate our way through without to much hassle.

What a luxury to have a third crewmember again.Felix took a little time
to get his sealegs,but this morning,after a good sleep,he is fine.He was
on the midnight to three shift this morning and we spend some time
together making sure we don't have any close encounters with big
ships.Sailing vessels have right of way,meaning we should be able to
stick our course and the motor tankers should alter course for us.Often
this is not possible as they take a considerable time to alter
course,and to stick to the rules of the road as it is called,on the sea
it will get you in trouble.Might is right,and we don't argue.They do,if
they can,alter course,sometimes.It is therefore essential to keep a good
watch out for ships coming from any direction.

Our position at AM 09:00 UTC was 36*06'N/04*31'W.we hope you are having
or have enjoyed a fabulous weekend.

Paul

Welcome Aboard Felix!

Just the shortest blog posting ever.We arrived at Puorto Sheery in Spain
at 8am,Felix was there at 9,we did the officials,shopped,filled up on
water and fuel and at 1pm we were on our way again.Brad went for his
customary run when we hit land while Felix and myself also gave our
boat a fresh water rinse,from head to toe.We have already covered more
than half the distance to the Straights of Gibraltar and should be going
through in the next 4 to 5 hours.Wind is perfect to give us a deep run
into the Med.All worked out for us and we are grateful.Poor Felix,both
Brad and myself are just chatting away.starved for company and
converstaion.Got pizza at the super market,in the oven and it went down
like a charm with coca cola.A Spanish galleon was close by and what an
amazing vessel up close.The rope work is phenominal,the woodwork
astonishing,the whole feel of the vessel awesome.

Will post again in the morning.

Paul

Pro's and cons

We've been having a good sailing weather for the most of yesterdayand
into the night.Main 1st reef and genoa full,doing a decent 5-6 kts and
the wind sitting between 10-13 kts constant.The sea was flat and we were
making good miles.In the early hours of the morning the wind started to
climb and the seastate deteriorated accordingly.Without hesitation I
woke Brad and we dropped the main to 2nd reef.Soon afterwards the wind
was up to 20 kts and we were ploughing through fairly big waves.So close
and yet so far.And yes,two up is taxing and we are a little bit
tired,but all good at the same time.The wind and seastate stayed like
this for the first half of today and two hours ago,as the weather file
predicted,the wind started dropping a bit.It was first coming from the
south east and is progressively backing.

Sailing on windvane mode,we were sailing in a north eastely
direction,straight to our waypoint at Cadiz.Progressively we are being
pushed up more north.Windvane mode we set the sails and the angle at
which we sail,and as the wind direction changes,so the direction in
which we sail also changes.There are certain angles one can't sail
at,the so called no go zone,when the wind is to close from the front.At
a 45* angle one gets some power out of the sails on a cat,but more so as
you go into the 50' and up,all around to the other side.We expect the
wind to back all the way to the west and will then have the wind from
behind for our last stretch to Cadiz,which is now less than 70 nm away.

We expect to arrive at Cadiz in the early hours of the morning and may
slow down a bit until it gets light.If we sail to fast we are also ready
to do a night entry.My pilotage plan is ready,and although all the city
lights makes this a daunting exercise,we are trained to do this.Crossing
the busiest shipping channel in world just add to the equation.Ships of
all sizes coming from all directions,all the time.

But soon we will be in Spain.We would love to rest a little at Cadiz,but
there are pros and cons to it.The cons are that the weather window is
excellent for us to go through Gibraltar asap and take us deep into
the Med.And if we linger,we the window will close on us and we will be
paying the price later.There are other factors too.We have to clear
customs and immigration.If we can't do this over the weekend,we may only
be able to get away on Monday.The pro's in this scenario is that we will
be able to go and explore a little bit of Spain.Go look for a bull and
wave a red flag at him and then run for our lives screaming and yelling
ole'! ole'!The cons to this is if the bull catches up to us.So which way
will the dice roll and how fill it fall.Time will tell.

Our new crewmember,Felix,is probably already waiting for us in Cadiz and
will sleep over in a hotel for the night.We get to meet him tomorrow.He
will never be able to replace Pieter,and he won't be expected to
either.He will bring his own personality to the boat and we will see how
the vrew dynamics work out.We are positive that he will make a great
contribution,as Pieter did,and as we all do.

We will keep you posted.

Paul

Cadiz, a stones throw away!

We are now within 130nm from Cadiz. Its one days good sailing away, and
it may be the case that we have a night entry into Puerto Sherry. From
there we will sort out some paperwork, gather a few provisions, wash
down Venus and then head out again. Perhaps we will even clear out of
Cadiz the same day as we arrive so as to catch the favourable winds
blowing through the Straits of Gibraltor. Cadiz will bring about
the welcoming of a new crew member (Felix) as well as some of the load
taken off both Paul and myself with regards to being on watch. You can
replace a crew member yes, but you cannot replace the great memories
built with Pieter. I am sure that there will be great memories built on
the next stage of this trip from Cadiz, for which I am very excited! We
will be heading past the beauty of Sicily and the infamous Strait of
Messina which will be such an amazing experience.

Paul made a delicious chicken stew for lunch/supper, which will continue
to be enjoyed through the small hours of the night as we rotate watches
at 10pm, 2am. The weather has been great to us today giving us calm seas
and warmer winds than the previous few days. We have been visited my
numerous schools of dolphin throughout the last few days. They come and
visit us at night too which is an amazing sight! When the dlophin cut
through the water at speed they disturb all the jellyfish and plankton
near the surface of the water, which causes them to emit their
bio-luminescents, making the water glow in the wake of the dolphin. This
makes the dolphin seem like missiles through the water. Awesome to see
in real life. Hope my very detailed description painted a decent picture
for you:)

Apart than that, I have nothing more to add other than "you stay classy
San Diego"!

Cheers
Brad
Other than that, all is well on Venus and we are still in great spirits
nearly 9 weeks into the trip and over 6500nm at sea.

Sweet dreams are made of this

Not doing a long blog today.The rough weather has at last
subsided.Followed by going deep into the low pressure system,our
barometer went down to 1007 and a big lull followed.The breeze was
coming from all over yesterday and we had to motor,eventually with now
sails up,making slow but steady progress.this morning the wind shifted
south and giving us excellent conditions to sail and make way towards
Cadiz,which is now only about 240nm away.Sailing on a broad reach on a
calm sea with a steady breeze,this is the cream of sailing.Loving it.

Both Brad and me had a shower this morning,good and clean and fresh.A
lot of fine red Sahara desert dust settled on the boat during the course
of the night,and we are looking forward to once again giving Venus a
fresh water washdown once we get to Cadiz.

Being two up is not so hard,but it takes a lot of discipline to sleep
when you have to.Stop the voices,or rather ignore the voices and
thoughts flying around inside,and sleep.And beautiful dreams we are
having.I dreamed of ordering Nugget Burgers from KFC.Not such a thing on
their menu,but we can dream can't we.While I was waiting for the burgers
in my dreams,I was eating a huge hot dog.Love dreamworld,lots to see and
do.Sometimes a bit disturbing,but part of the journey I guess.

Pieter is going in for his op on Friday morning,so spare a thought for
him.From Thursday night 22h00 no wet or dry over his lips,nil per mouth
is a term I just learned from a top professional.Clinical,technical,to
the point,as we also sometimes do with our sailing terms.don't you love
it?Nil per mouth.Not the experience,the terminology.Why is it always
that when the power is down you want coffee or tea,and when you can't
eat,you want to eat.Pieter mailed me yesterday apologizing for sitting
around a fire and braaing chicken wings.Our mouths water just at the
thought of it.But I mailed him back and promised that we will have a big
steak when we get to Spain,to make up for his nil per mouth
experience.The games we play,all in good cheer of course.Yes,dammit
Pieter,we miss you plenty.But take care and wishing you a speedy
recovery.And Bonnie,thanks for keeping us informed of his well-being as
you said you would.We appreciate it very much.

Our position at PM 02:00 UTC is 34*00'N/10*09'W.Barometer up to 1015.All
good.

Take good care and sweet dreams to you.

Paul

Two months ago...

Yes,two months ago we casted off in Cape Town and set sail for
Greece.Now,6420 nautical miles later,we have seen a lot,done a
lot,learned a lot,and sadly also had to say goodbuy to our fellow
crewmember who had to return at short notice.We are hoping to hear from
him soon.In the interem,we have made contact with our new
crewmember,Felix Hahne,a young German lad who is very excited to be
joining us for our last leg to Greece.He is flying in on Friday the 8th
and will meet at us at Puerto Sherry,a marina about 50 nm's north of
Gibraltar.GPS position 36*34.8N/006*15.2W.Google Earth or just google
the spot and see what it looks like.Never been there so it will be
interesting to find out.The biggest town nearby is Cadiz.

The last day and a bit we've had some heavy weather as predicted.The sea
also getting in on the act and waves of anbout four mtrs started rolling
through.We had two options,either run with it and be pushed way down
south or sail slowly into it and stay more or less on a course taking us
east.Last night the sea got a bit bigger and we decided to drop the main
and carry on with a bit of genoa and motoring into the oncoming
waves.Worked well for us,and although we were going slow,we were just
riding out the heavy weather.An hour or so ago the wind and sea started
easing off a bit,as it has been gradually doing for the last few
hours.When Brad came on watch at 2pm we first sat down and had a warm
helping of spaghetti bolognaise,his favorite food...again.

After lunch or early supper it was time to raise the main again to
second reef.As expected we are now doing much better and sailing at a
nice pace,still going more or less east but starting to curve up north a
bit.By this time tomorrow the weather would have first pushed us a bit
more south and then a lull before we start heading north east towards
Cadiz.We are 340 miles from there and expect to arrive there on the 9th
or 10th,giving us ample time to meet our new crewmember.Our current
position is 33*03'N/11*43'W.

Quite a few ships around as can be expected.Not too many yet,but as
always we are keeping a sharp look-out.Amazing how adaptable we are as
humans,and how we only know what we can do when we have to.And who knows
what our true potential is.I know.And you know.But do you know what you
know what you know.Your truth is you,the highest truth,the only
truth.And you are the guardian of that inner truth.Perhaps you have lost
it,like most of us sometimes do.But if you really want,it is your's for
the knowing.You will have to unlearn a lot of things,but,in due time,you
will get back to Number One.

Paul

Different Dynamics

It's now been just over two days that we have left Madeira and sailing
two up is much different from sailing three.Not much time for chit
chat,just eat,sleep and watch,four hours on four hours off.We are
getting used to this new schedule,adapting as we have to.we do miss our
third crewmember Pieter immensily,and we hope to hear from him later
today re his medical condition.Just received excellent news from
Nicky,our lady in the office in Cape Town.She has once again done the
impossible and sourced a crewmember from Germany.She will fly him in a
day or two before we arrive at our next landfall.It could be Cadiz,but
if the weather is good for us,Brad and myself will run through the
Straits of Gibraltar and meet him on the other side.Yay yay yay.Thanks
Nix!!!I don't say for nothing that we work with the best in the
industry,as it has once again be proven.If she only had us to deal with
it would have been amazing already,but she has a whole fleet of boats
and crews and their predicaments to deal with.You're simply the best.

The weather out here is fairly rough at the moment and we expect it to
stay with us till tomorrow night.The waves that we are sailing into is
probably about three meters high and we are making steady
progress,taking it one wave at a time,time after time.The weather
predicted will push us a bit east,then a bit southeast and finally we
will be able to curve up as the weather will start coming from the south
east in the next few days.Extreme weather is expected in the
Gibraltar/Cadiz area from the 5th to the 8th of April,so no use for us
to hurry along.We are only 380nm from Gibraltar and will time our
arrival for the 9th or 10th when things have calmed down considerably.

A lot of dolphins playing around the boat but no change for us to go to
the bow and blow them kisses.We will spend most of the time suspended in
the air and getting wetdangerous and cold.When we need to do some work
on the bow we turn on a broad reach,the wind from nearly behind if you
don't know what broad reach is,hold on to the stay jack or life line we
have running from the back to the front of the boat,do what we need to
do,get back and turn into the wind again.A chilly 16*C and we are
dressed accordingly.The country veg stew I made last night filled us
nicely and warmly,and we have some left for lunch.I just heated some and
enjoyed it thoroughly,again.Do you also find that things like pasta and
stew taste better the next day?

There is also a lot more ships around.On my 2 to 6 watch this morning I
saw five ships,fortunately all some distance away from us.With the
rougher conditions we have our nav lights on as well as our anchor
light,just to make sure they see us.We are mostly sailing on a close
reach and I wonder if you can figure out where the wind comes from
then.First prize for guessing it right could be a little seatrial on a
new boat in the Cape of Storms...ha ha ha.We are running the motors one
at a time every now and the to keep the batteries charged.Not much else
to say today except that our position was 33*12'W/13*04'N at AM 09:00
UTC.We are 1730nm from Greece and as I said,only 380nm from
Gibraltar.the wind is gusting now at 30 kts and we just furled in the
genoa a little more,having gone on a broad reach to execute this
exercise without undue strain on the rigging,the sails,the winches,the
"ropes" or ourselves.

Hope you have a good one and I hear that winter is setting in around
South Africa.Normally winter sets in around Cape Town just after the
Easter weekend,but the first signs are there.

Different Dynamics

It's now been just over two days that we have left Madeira and sailing
two up is much different from sailing three.Not much time for chit
chat,just eat,sleep and watch,four hours on four hours off.We are
getting used to this new schedule,adapting as we have to.we do miss our
third crewmember Pieter immensily,and we hope to hear from him later
today re his medical condition.Just received excellent news from
Nicky,our lady in the office in Cape Town.She has once again done the
impossible and sourced a crewmember from Germany.She will fly him in a
day or two before we arrive at our next landfall.It could be Cadiz,but
if the weather is good for us,Brad and myself will run through the
Straits of Gibraltar and meet him on the other side.Yay yay yay.Thanks
Nix!!!I don't say for nothing that we work with the best in the
industry,as it has once again be proven.If she only had us to deal with
it would have been amazing already,but she has a whole fleet of boats
and crews and their predicaments to deal with.You're simply the best.

The weather out here is fairly rough at the moment and we expect it to
stay with us till tomorrow night.The waves that we are sailing into is
probably about three meters high and we are making steady
progress,taking it one wave at a time,time after time.The weather
predicted will push us a bit east,then a bit southeast and finally we
will be able to curve up as the weather will start coming from the south
east in the next few days.Extreme weather is expected in the
Gibraltar/Cadiz area from the 5th to the 8th of April,so no use for us
to hurry along.We are only 380nm from Gibraltar and will time our
arrival for the 9th or 10th when things have calmed down considerably.

A lot of dolphins playing around the boat but no change for us to go to
the bow and blow them kisses.We will spend most of the time suspended in
the air and getting wetdangerous and cold.When we need to do some work
on the bow we turn on a broad reach,the wind from nearly behind if you
don't know what broad reach is,hold on to the stay jack or life line we
have running from the back to the front of the boat,do what we need to
do,get back and turn into the wind again.A chilly 16*C and we are
dressed accordingly.The country veg stew I made last night filled us
nicely and warmly,and we have some left for lunch.I just heated some and
enjoyed it thoroughly,again.Do you also find that things like pasta and
stew taste better the next day?

There is also a lot more ships around.On my 2 to 6 watch this morning I
saw five ships,fortunately all some distance away from us.With the
rougher conditions we have our nav lights on as well as our anchor
light,just to make sure they see us.We are mostly sailing on a close
reach and I wonder if you can figure out where the wind comes from
then.First prize for guessing it right could be a little seatrial on a
new boat in the Cape of Storms...ha ha ha.We are running the motors one
at a time every now and the to keep the batteries charged.Not much else
to say today except that our position was 33*12'W/13*04'N at AM 09:00
UTC.We are 1730nm from Greece and as I said,only 380nm from
Gibraltar.the wind is gusting now at 30 kts and we just furled in the
genoa a little more,having gone on a broad reach to execute this
exercise without undue strain on the rigging,the sails,the winches,the
"ropes" or ourselves.

Hope you have a good one and I hear that winter is setting in around
South Africa.Normally winter sets in around Cape Town just after the
Easter weekend,but the first signs are there.

Shaping well

Our first night after leaving Madeira was pretty rough.Up to 28 kts of
wind on the nose it took quite a bit of effort to get things running
smoothly.In the end,furling the genoa deeper and letting the
mainsail,2nd reef out to close against the shrouds,we managed to spill
some wind.Slower speed and far less stress on the rigging,we eventually
managed a certain level of comfort.Four hours on four hours off worked
out quite well.But when you go and sleep now,you have to sleep.No time
for rolling around waiting for sleep to come to you.Our sleeping pattern
will also stabilize now that we sleep the same hours,day and night,which
also helps.

We could probably get to Gibraltar in four or five days,but our weather
files predict seriously strong winds in that area till the 8th.30 kts
getting up to 45,no way to get through to either Cadiz or Gibraltar.We
are therefore deliberately slowing down and will see what it looks like
on the 9th or 10th.With the wind coming from the north there is a
positive chill in the air.Yesterday was overcast,today,it is so nice to
have a bit of sunlight to warm us up a bit.Last night on my watch I
could for the first time really don my winter
garb.Scarf,beanie,gloves,socks,crocs,jeans,sailing pants and
t-shirt,fleece jacket,sailing jacket and a steaming hot cup of tea to
fend off the cold.

We had an early supper last night.Chicken left over from the night
before,wrapped in freshly made roti's.Brad was surprised how easy it is
to make roti's and I am sure he will make plenty more in time to come.He
says his favorite food is chicken wraps.We got some fresh produce on
Madeira,including mayonaise,so yes,it went down very well.But then his
favorite food is also pasta.Then braai is his favorite too.I just asked
him,and he said it,all food is his favourite food,but his favorite
favorite is van Eck smoked chicken on the Weber and veggie bake and
potatoes on the coles.

For today I am preparing country style stew.Cubed beef,fresh
carrots,tomatoes,cabbage,potatoes,garlic,onion etc etc etc on a bed of
spiced rice.We are planning to have supper a bit earlier now so we can
fall asleep easier,without our tummies being to full to make it
difficult.Food comas are nice,but they only last a while.We need to get
sleep when we can,quality sleep.Powernaps in a way,and not difficult if
you set your mind to it.

We received news last night that Pieter landed safely in South Africa
and will attend to his problems on Monday.Getting seasick would have
just aggrevated his hernia even more and out here we have no facilities
to deal with sush emergencies.Pieter,we wish you a speedy recovery and
all the best.We miss you too much but that is how it goes sometimes.It
is damn quite without you onboard.

Paul

And then there were two...

After spending a much needed rest at Madeira for two days and a bit,we
departed at ten this morning.We missed our crewmember when he flew back
to SA due to a hernia that was flaring up,or down as the case may be.We
missed him even more this morning when we sat down to have some crumpets
that Brad prepared,and Pieter's place at the table is a huge void,and we
miss him now even more.

A lot of people sail single handed around the globe,and far more so sail
two up.Both Brad and myself are more than capable to do the next leg
without compromising our safety.Our comfort zone is a bit impeded,but so
be it,a lot of people do it like this.We are hoping to have a
replacement crew by the time we approach Gibraltar,if not and if the
weather is good to go through,we might just push on through to Greece
which is only about two weeks away from today.We are expecting some
strong winds on the 4th and the 5th which may push us down south a
bit.Besides that it looks like we will be having good weather to make
good speed.

If the weather is not good for going through Gibraltar,we are planning
to sit it out at Cadiz in Spain,which is where we are sailing to at the
moment.It is just about 50 nm north of Gibraltar and we will play it as
it falls.Currently we are sailing past the last headland of Madeira and
the wind is from the north as the weather reports predicted.We have our
mainsail on the second reef,and the genoa furled in about two thirds as
the wind funneling over and around the island varies between 20 and 27
kts.We are making excellent progress and sailing at 5kts plus.We prefer
to take it a bit slower than what we can,always easy to furl out a bit
more genoa should the wind drop enough to justify it.Our COG is traight
in the direction we want to go.

We can expect more traffic from here on and will be extra vigilant.we
posted a lot of photos on our Facebook profiles,150 + of the trip from
St.Helena up to Madeira,including a lot of photos from Madeira.Should
you like to view these,you are welcome to send a friend request to my
Facebook profile and Lizette will accept on my behalf.

Wishing you a pleasant and restful weekend.

Paul